Folk Trailblazer Martha Redbone Sings Songs of William Blake

Drawing on an upbringing grounded in the Appalachian music of Black Mountain, Kentucky, Martha Redbone's unforgettable tunes blend traditional Native American elements with funk and Piedmont blues. For her most recent album, The Garden of Love: Songs of William Blake, she wrapped the English poet's haunting lines in the kind of warm, woodsy melodies that only pre-war string band instrumentation can provide. Combining the gentle intimacy of front porch Sunday picking with a sweeping blend of country gospel, folk and stomp chants, Redbone's concerts make clear why the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian made her previous album, Skintalk, part of its permanent collection.